How to Choose a Domain Name that Suits Your Business

Choosing a domain name that suits your business is not an easy choice to make, especially if you are also looking for something that will be super easy to rank on search engine.

The internet revolution has changed everything. The way we
live, the way we do things, the way we speak, and the list goes on.

This revolution has faced some criticism as well but that
does not take away the benefits it brings. Everything has its uses. It can be
used for the good and the evil alike.

Look at a knife, for
example, you can cut fruits and vegetables with it. If used carelessly you can
also hurt yourself. This makes it clear that a tool or device is not bad per se but it is the use which makes it worth.

Moving on with the internet revolution, we saw things change
rapidly. The increasing internet speeds rapidly absorbed the material world and
started forming a parallel reality.

This absorption never stopped and there was only one reason.
It was popular and people liked it. The internet offered solutions for
everything. The increasing popularity saw a hike in new websites populating the
web.

The growth is rapid and there are
over a billion websites on the World Wide Web according to a 2019
web server survey. This number was taken some time in January 2019.

The interesting part is there is no slowing down. As the
internet grows the utility increases and it calls more people to partake.

This growing website population means everyone is keen to
see what the internet universe holds for them. We turn to the internet for entertainment, information,
academics, shopping and pretty much everything.

The Market

There are over a billion websites but how many users? Almost
half of the world uses the internet.

To quote a rough number, over 4
billion people use the internet. It is not just the humans, our
appliances are also part of the internet world and over 23 billion devices are
connected to the internet.

This makes it a huge market. Every business in the world
wants to capture it. This one of the biggest reasons why websites are made.

All this effort and for what revenues? According to Digital
Commerce 360, 2018 shows a $517 billion in revenues for US
merchants alone. Now that is some amount. This clearly shows the
potential that the internet holds.

How Can the Internet Help Your
Business?

There are so many things that you can do with the internet to help your business.

To add to this, not every website has an app but most apps
are the adoption of their websites. It
now seems clear that a website is a
starting point for your business to start the expansion
project. Agreed?

Project Website

Every website starts with deciding a name. Yes, the website
name or a domain name. The world of websites or the World Wide Web is a global network and every website is an address.

It is important that every website gets a unique address to
avoid any confusion.

To accomplish this the system allocates a series of digits known
an IP address. Since this address is composed of a complex combination, it is
hard to learn or keep in mind. Besides, digits look scary and it is not easy to
remember the exact combination.

Words, on the other hand, are easy to remember and
attractive words rarely leave our mind. This is exactly why this address made
of digits is given another name which is commonly known as a domain name or
website.

The aim now is to create a website that gets your attention to the extent that it boosts
your sales. But the major problem is how to find the right balance in choosing
a domain name that suits your business.

The name needs to be related to your business, you need to
know the ideal length of a suitable domain name, and the list goes on.

The question arises, is there a formula or pattern that can
get you a domain name suited to your business?

The answer is no.

There is no set of rules or guides that can point you in the
right direction in choosing the most suitable domain name that will perfectly
suit your business.

What is the Ideal Domain Name Length?

Though we have established that there’s no specific formula
for determining your domain name length, however a quick search of the top 100
websites in the world shows that none of them is more than 17 characters.

Had we known this, EntrepreneurBusinessBlog.com won’t be up
to 24 characters.

To help you further understand what goes in choosing a
domain name for a personal or corporate website, we have compiled a list of
tips that can help you choose the right domain name for your business.

The List

Here’s the list that can help you get the perfect domain
name for your business website:

1. .com

Whenever typing a web address, you will almost always type
.com at the end. This is exactly why it should be on the top of your shopping
list. Imagine www.google.net, we know right?

Speaking of .com, it is the last part of the domain name and
is known as TLD or Top-Level Domain Name. Here are a few examples:

.net

.org

.co

.edu

.biz

There is nothing wrong with them
but you need to go for something that catches instant attraction. Something
that is effortless.

Then there are stats that may
convince you. What stats? Some 46% domain names end with
.com. This tells you the popularity of this TLD.

It is alright if you can’t get
your domain name with the .com TLD.
Before you look to decide on the next best option, here is what the TLD’s
purpose is:

.com – used for all commercial purposes

.org – organizations

.edu – educational institutions

.gov – the US government

.ca – Canada

The list goes on and there are numerous
other TLDs to choose from.

The purpose of the TLD is not the issue here as it is not
what everyone adheres to. It is a norm nothing concrete, you can choose to
deviate from it if you like. If you insist on getting your domain with a .com,
it can be expensive. Real expensive!

2. Short and Easy

The phrase preceding TLD needs to be something like TLD
itself. Before we get into what it should be like, let’s know what we call it.

SLD, it is called SLD or second level domain. With the
technicalities out of the way, time to get back to what we are discussing here.
What should an SLD be?

Your SLD needs to be something simple and small.

Keeping a sequence of code in mind is difficult but try
remembering a complex phrase that is too long. You may just may, be able to memorize it but it becomes a hassle when
typing.

Remember, we are talking about an audience that switches
channels during the commercial break. They get the domain incorrect once or maybe twice, and chances are they simply switch to another website.
So will your sales go.

When doing a domain name search, you need to go for a domain
name that is simple to remember and short enough to type. Doing this will help
people to easily land on your website and you get a potential customer.

3. Catchy and Memorable

Your Domain Name Should Be Outstanding And Memorable

What’s next on the list? The domain ends with .com, it is
short and easy. How about making it catchy?

We know there are more than a billion domain names but how
many can you recall right now? A handful at most.

The ones you can remember all have one thing in common, well
two, they are catch and/or they are memorable.

How do you know if the domain name that you’ve chosen fits this criterion?

Pretty simple…

Gather your close friends and family. Share a list of domain
names with them and ask for their opinion on each.

Let them tell you what they feel about it and listen to any
suggestion they may have. You are the boss at the end but you too know that generating
a catchy and memorable domain name is your preference.

4. Simple Pronunciation

We’ve mentioned simple and memorable, did we say it should
not be difficult to pronounce?

Simple spellings are
one thing but the domain name will also travel with the word of mouth.

Marketing research
reveals that most people go with the recommendation given by the people around
them.

This group of people is what populates the earth and their
presence is everywhere which makes them the biggest target market.

Millennials, we are talking about millennials. They were born in a time where communication systems were booming and they’ve known internet for longer than their elders.

Here’s the trick here… A domain name that is easy to pronounce is easier to share.

People that hear it from friends and family are bound to
give it a try.

What if it is only easy to spell but difficult to pronounce?
Memorize spellings vs memorize a name. The name is easier.

So if the pronunciation is easy but the spellings you chose
are complex? Well, they will remember the
name but may not be able to get the spellings correct. Meaning? They will not
get to access your website and you lose potential clients.

I am the CEO of Entrepreneur Business Blog, Chief Evangelist of Ebusinessroom Ventures, Lead Coach of The Excellent Entrepreneurs' Network (TEEN) and Convenor of #NaijaSitUp.
My business is to help you start, manage and grow a profitable and sustainable business using digital marketing strategies.
I have been featured and mentioned on platforms like, BloggingTips, StarterStory, StatusBrew, Realty Times, Emerald TV, SmartBCamp, Blogging from Paradise, Write Worldwide, Enterprise Boom, Atang Magazine, etc. In 2019, my blog won the Best Digital Media Award from AB Afrikpreneur.
When you want to hire a professional to handle your online marketing, I'm your go-to-expert you can speak to.
You can connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn with this handle, @EmenikeNg

1 Comment

This is a very informative post. It is a common issue when we get confused while choosing the right kind of domain. Your post is very helpful and it will help lot of web masters looking to buy new domain.